New!
articles • book quests • news • library
reviews • podcast • gifts • archives
Crew manifest Faith statement FAQs
All author resources Lorehaven Guild Subscribe for free

147. Why Can Christians Celebrate Stories about Merlin and King Arthur? | with Robert Treskillard
Fantastical Truth Podcast, Jan 31, 2023

A Crown of Chains
Reviews, Jan 27, 2023

The Magician’s Nephew Taught Me Christ’s Compassion in the Midst of Grief
Elijah David in Articles, Jan 26, 2023

Library

Find fantastical Christian novels

fantasy · sci-fi · and beyond
middle grade · young adult · grown-ups
All novels Search Add a novel
Silver Bounty, Victoria McCombs
A Sword for the Immerland King, F. W. Faller
Calor, J. J. Fisher
Once Upon A Ren Faire, A. C. Castillo
Exile, Loren G. Warnemuende
Aberration, Cathy McCrumb
The Truth Beyond the Lies, Kathleen Bird
Frost, Winter's Lonely Guardian, E. E. Rawls
Dream of Kings, Sharon Hinck
The Change, Bradley Caffee
Quest of Fire: Desperation, Brett Armstrong
Wishtress, Nadine Brandes
Flight, Kristen Young
The Deliverer, Jason William Karpf
Podcast

Get the Fantastical Truth podcast

Podcast sponsors | Subscribe links
Archives Feedback

147. Why Can Christians Celebrate Stories about Merlin and King Arthur? | with Robert Treskillard
Fantastical Truth, Jan 31, 2023

146. How Did Animators Adapt The Wingfeather Saga For Streaming TV? | with Keith Lango
Fantastical Truth, Jan 24, 2023

145. How Did Edmund Spenser’s ‘The Faerie Queene’ Shape Christian Fantasy? | with Rebecca K. Reynolds
Fantastical Truth, Jan 17, 2023

144. Which Top Six Fantasy Franchises Gave Fans Grief in 2022?
Fantastical Truth, Jan 10, 2023

143. Which Top Ten Lorehaven Stories Proved Most Popular in 2022?
Fantastical Truth, Jan 6, 2023

142. What Christmas Gift ‘Tools, Not Toys’ Helped You Grow As a Person?
Fantastical Truth, Dec 20, 2022

Quests

Join our monthly digital book quests.

Lorehaven Guild Faith statement FAQs

Rose Petals and Snowflakes
Book Quests, January 2023

Prince Caspian
Book Quests, January 2023

Dream of Kings
Book Quests, December 2022

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
Book Quests, November 2022

Reviews

Find fantastical Christian reviews

All reviews Request review

A Crown of Chains
“A Crown of Chains creatively retells a biblical tale to explore themes of providence, racism, faith, and fidelity.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 27, 2023

Lander’s Legacy
“Lander’s Legacy stacks modern thrills and complex characters on a foundation of biblical what-ifs.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 20, 2023

Prince Caspian
“Pacing starts slow but creature lore grows in C. S. Lewis’s sequel, introducing practical tyrants and talking-beast politics into a Narnian resistance.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 13, 2023

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
“New and returning readers of all ages would do well to seek deeper magic within C. S. Lewis’s faithful classic.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 13, 2023

Gifts

Find new gifts for Christian fans

Archives

The original SpecFaith: est. 2006

Speculative Faith | archives

Lorehaven issues (2018–2020)

Order back issues online!
About
Library
Reviews
Podcast
Gifts
Guild
Archives
SpecFaith
Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
Subscribe free to Lorehaven
/ SpecFaith /

Everything’s A Copy Of A Copy Of A Copy…

I like having no idea what’s coming next, but with retellings, I know that this or that villain is going to make an appearance, though they will undoubtedly be different than how Disney imagined, and if it’s a fictional biography, I know that this or that key event will take place in their life, because I already know some of the story.
Mark Carver on Sep 21, 2016
No comments

(Ten points for whomever knows the movie where this title is from)

Everyone always complains about the lack of originality in Hollywood these days. There is a very self-aware scene from the movie 21 Jump Street where the police chief informs the main characters that the department is resurrecting old programs from the 80s and thinks no one would notice. Every generation has its wave of nostalgia, but it seems that we are getting clobbered by a tsunami. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though it provides ample ammunition for the detractors of this trend of re-packaging old favorites (Alan Moore gave a scathing interview on this subject a while back).

I’m not here to bash on the good ol’ days of Pac-Man and Ninja Turtles. I would, however, like to address another creative outlet where originality takes a backseat: fan fiction. Now, I’m not talking about the short stories that pop up on fan websites featuring their favorite characters in situations and adventures that are not part of the original author’s story arc. This sort of fan fiction has been around for quite a while but has been growing in popularity and legitimacy, and even spawned one of the most unfortunate literary titans of our young century, the 50 Shades of Grey books, which started out as erotic fan fiction starring Edward and Bella from the Twilight series. I’ve heard of some instances where fan fiction writers actually make a living from their writing, sometimes with the original author’s blessing.

70217912The fan fiction I’d like to discuss is far less obvious to spot and occupies significant shelf space at your local bookstore: the “retelling” and the “fictional biography.” The first involves taking a classic story and putting your own spin on it (a steampunk MacBeth, for example), and the second is very popular in Christian fiction, where the author takes a real character from the Bible and fleshes out their story.

I don’t want to make any enemies here because I am sure that readers of this website read and write these kinds of stories. However, I do want to call out this hot trend. We all have characters and worlds that we love, and no one would spend the time to write a story about a character they loathed, even if that character isn’t “good.” But I can’t help but groan when I see yet another fairy tale given a clever twist (The Little Mermaid becomes a vengeful assassin of the seas; Tinker Bell leads the fairy folk out of oppression, etc.). These stories are essentially well-written fan fiction, and while they may certainly be fun and entertaining, they trod familiar ground that has already been packed hard by so many footsteps.

There is hardly a character in the Bible that doesn’t have their own novelization, even those with barely a verse letting us know that they existed. The author usually will employ meticulous research of the time period and culture to give us a sense of who this person might have been as a human being. If the character does have a bit of history devoted to them, the reader knows the general direction in which the story is heading, and personally, I feel that this deflates some of the tension. I like having no idea what’s coming next, but with retellings, I know that this or that villain is going to make an appearance, though they will undoubtedly be different than how Disney imagined, and if it’s a fictional biography, I know that this or that key event will take place in their life, because I already know some of the story.

We all like things that are comfortable and familiar – songs, shoes, stories. Yet I feel that the entertainment products that re-package familiar properties are given more than their fair share of attention. I want to be thrilled and surprised, and I hate that feeling of, “Yep, of course. I knew it.” These great stories and iconic characters that we love were once original, too. As a reader or a writer, don’t be afraid to find new favorites.

Mark Carver
Mark Carver writes dark, edgy books that tackle tough spiritual issues. He is currently working on his ninth novel. Besides writing, Mark is passionate about art, tattoos, bluegrass music, and medieval architecture. After spending more than eight years in China, he now lives with his wife and three children in Atlanta, GA. You can find Mark online at MarkCarverBooks.com and at Markcarverbooks on Facebook.
Website · Facebook · Twitter

What do you think? Cancel reply

Lorehaven magazine, spring 2020

Wear the wonder:
Get exclusive shirts and beyond

Listen to Lorehaven’s podcast

Authors and publishers:
Reach new fans with Lorehaven

Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
Website · Facebook · Instagram · Twitter